10 Jobs for Retired Couples

If one of you loves to cook, a catering business can be a good way to work together from home. It's a flexible enterprise that doesn't require a huge investment. Besides cooking, caterers need skills in marketing, planning and client relations. You also have to be able to deliver the food and set up the venues.

You should carefully think about the size and scope of your operation. You could stick to specialties like hors d'oeuvres or desserts, provide boxed picnic lunches, or even offer complete formal dinners. Whichever flavor of service you choose, it's best to start with small parties and events. Catering a large corporate affair or a major wedding is a job that requires experience and know-how.

All you'll need to start is a well-equipped kitchen that meets health department standards. Besides great recipes, you'll have to know about purchasing ingredients, planning menus and keeping food at the proper temperatures. Organization, time management and the ability to improvise are essential skills for success in catering.

Have Meals, Will Travel

A good way to get your feet wet in catering is to deliver prepared meals to customers' homes. Busy working parents are a great potential market -- they want to eat in, but would love to have somebody else do the cooking. One of you can plan menus and prepare the food, while the other handles the scheduling and delivery.